Max, a volunteer at Mind Cymru, shares his experience of social anxiety and how he is overcoming this.

Max DeanPosted on 25/02/2015

What is a phobia?

A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. It is an extreme form of fear or anxiety triggered by a particular situation (such as going outside) or object (such as spiders), even when there is no danger.

For example, you may know that it is safe to be out on a balcony in a high-rise block, but feel terrified to go out on it or even enjoy the view from behind the windows inside the building. Likewise, you may know that a spider isn’t poisonous or that it won’t bite you, but this still doesn’t reduce your anxiety.

Someone with a phobia may even feel this extreme anxiety just by thinking or talking about the particular situation or object.

Is a phobia a mental health problem?

Many of us have fears about particular objects or situations, and this is perfectly normal. A fear becomes a phobia if:

the fear is out of proportion to the danger

it lasts for more than six months

it has a significant impact on how you live your day-to-day life

To live in a world full of fear is not living, it is survival.

When should I get help?

It can be difficult to know when to seek treatment for a phobia. If avoidance of the object, activity or situation that triggers your phobia does interfere with your everyday life, or keeps you from doing things you would otherwise enjoy, it may be time to seek help.